May 19, 2006 - Anheuser-Busch has closed the rumored deal to purchase the Rolling Rock beer brands, paying InBev $82 million and moving production to its Newark brewery.

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InBev spokeswoman Brenda Williams said the company is negotiating with separate potential buyers for the Latrobe Brewery Co., which until July 31 will brew Rolling Rock. If a suitable buyer is not found by July 31, the Latrobe plant will close.

Williams said the Latrobe brewery produced about 850,000 barrels of Rolling Rock last year, below the plant's capacity of 1.3 million barrels.

Rolling Rock was introduced in 1939 by Latrobe Brewing Co. and acquired in 1987 by InBev's Labatt U.S.A.

A-B said in a release that it would now begin working with the existing Rolling Rock wholesaler network and its own wholesalers to define a plan for the future.

"We have an ideal opportunity to grow this historic brand," said August Busch IV, president of Anheuser-Busch. "This beer is not like others, and its consumer following is equally distinctive. We live in a diverse world where consumers are hungry for variety. Acquiring Rolling Rock enables us to reach a new audience."